Date Program Tables are Updated: JULY 2023

Program Disclosures

As articulated in Standard I.B.2, programs may have “admission and employment policies that directly relate to affiliation or purpose” that may be faith-based or secular in nature. However, such policies and practices must be disclosed to the public. Therefore, programs are asked to respond to the following question.

Does the program or institution require students, trainees, and/or staff (faculty) to comply with specific policies or practices related to the institution’s affiliation or purpose? Such policies or practices may include, but are not limited to, admissions, hiring, retention policies, and/or requirements for completion that express mission and values.

NO

Internship Program Admissions

Briefly describe in narrative form important information to assist potential applicants in assessing their likely fit with your program. This description must be consistent with the program’s policies on intern selection and practicum and academic preparation requirements:

The Medical College of Georgia (MCG)/Augusta University and the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center (CNVAMC) are organized as partners in offering a 12-month, full-time Internship in Clinical Psychology. The program begins in early July and carries an annual stipend of $33,469. We currently fund ten Interns. The Internship combines a solid grounding in clinical skills with access to a wide range of mental health and medical settings through which an Intern can develop general clinical-counseling skills as well as emphasis training. Our training model focuses on three primary facets of training in the development of professional psychologists: 1) Training in the implementation of essential practice skills in key field settings; 2) Training in an empirical approach to practice (fostering attitudes of empiricism and reflection), and; 3) Training in the provision of care for underserved populations.  Our hospitals and clinics are large regional treatment and training centers with more than 1000 combined inpatient beds and a multitude of specialty treatment programs and clinics. Our program partners with East Central Georgia Regional Hospital (ECRH) - a state funded psychiatric hospital that provides care for individuals with serious and chronic mental health disorders. The Augusta Campus of ECRH consists of three primary inpatient units: Adult Mental Health, General Mental Health, and Forensics. Across all training experiences, Interns work in close collaboration with primary care physicians, psychiatrists and other physician specialists, and other allied health professionals to develop skills in providing interdisciplinary health care.

There are two required 4-month rotations:

  • The General Practice Rotation: This rotation focuses on opportunities for development of psychological assessment skills, skills pertaining to rapid assessment, de-escalation/stabilization, and triaging in individuals with acute psychiatric conditions, co-leadership of time-limited evidence-based psychotherapy groups and, individual, and possibly couple, and family psychotherapy.
  • The Integrated Health Psychology Rotation: Training offered in many medical settings at either CNVAMC (CNVAMC-funded Interns) or Augusta University hospitals and clinics (AU-funded Interns). This rotation focuses on acquiring skills that will enable interns to apply fundamental psychological principles to health care settings with a goal of training interns to function independently in interdisciplinary health care settings.

In addition to the generalist training opportunities available, emphasis training is provided through the selection of one of six tracks: Child and Family (AU funded), Forensic Psychology (AU funded), Clinical Health Psychology (2 CNVAMC funded & 1 AU funded), HIV & LGBTQ Health Disparities Track (AU funded), Psychology of Women (3-CNVAMC funded) and Trauma Psychology (CNVAMC funded).

Does the program require that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at time of application? If Yes, indicate how many:
Total Direct Contact Intervention Hours: 400
Total Direct Contact Assessment Hours: 40

Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:

Only applicants from APA approved doctoral programs in clinical or counseling psychology will be considered. Interns are expected to have completed at least three years of doctoral study with a minimum number of AAPI Intervention Hours of 400 and AAPI Assessment Hours of 40 before entering our program. Applicants must have completed their Masters Degree requirements prior to the application deadline (if applicable in their doctoral program), must have Comprehensive Exams passed by the ranking deadline, and must have their Dissertation Proposal approved by the start of the residency. To be considered for our program, applicants must have data-based doctoral dissertations. Examples of acceptable data-based doctoral dissertations include original data collection (quantitative and/or qualitative), use of secondary data/existing databases, meta-analyses. Examples of dissertations that do not qualify include reviews of the literature, narrative reviews, systematic reviews.

The following additional qualifications are applied based on requirements for training in all Veterans Affairs (VA) settings:

  • U.S. citizenship. The VA is unable to consider applications from anyone who is not currently a U.S. citizen. Verification of citizenship is required following selection. All interns must complete a Certification of Citizenship in the United States prior to beginning VA training.
  • A male applicant born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the draft by age 26 to be eligible for any US government employment, including selection as a paid VA trainee. Male applicants must sign a pre-appointment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration before they can be processed into a training program. Exceptions can be granted only by the US Office of Personnel Management; exceptions are very rarely granted.
  • Interns are subject to fingerprinting and background checks. Match result and selection decisions are contingent on passing these screens.
  • The VA conducts drug screening exams on randomly selected personnel as well as new employees. Interns are not required to be tested prior to beginning work, but once on staff they are subject to random selection for testing as are other employees.

Health Professions Trainees (HPTs) are appointed as temporary employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs. As such, HPTs are subject to laws, policies, and guidelines posted for VA staff members.  There are infrequent times in which this guidance can change during a training year which may create new requirements or responsibilities for HPTs.  If employment requirements change during the course of a training year, HPTs will be notified of the change and impact as soon as possible and options provided. The VA Training Director will provide you with the information you need to understand the requirement and reasons for the requirement in timely manner.

Financial and Other Benefit Support for Upcoming Training Year*

Annual Stipend/Salary for Full-time Interns

$33,469

Annual Stipend/Salary for Half-time Interns

N/A

Program provides access to medical insurance for intern?

     If access to medical insurance is provided:
            Trainee contribution to cost required?
            Coverage of family member(s) available?
            Coverage of legally married partner available?
            Coverage of domestic partner available?

YES


YES
YES
YES
NO

Hours of Annual Paid Personal Time Off (PTO and/or Vacation)

80 (AU-Paid)/104 (VA-Paid)

Hours of Annual Paid Sick Leave

80 (AU-Paid)/104 (VA-Paid)

In the event of medical conditions and/or family needs that require extended leave, does the program allow reasonable unpaid leave to interns/residents in excess of personal time off and sick leave?

YES

Other Benefits (please describe):
     Up to 5 days of authorized leave for conference attendance/licensure/interviews/etc.

 

*Note: Programs are not required by the Commission on Accreditation to provide all benefits listed in this table

Initial Post-Internship Positions (2020-2021 Cohort, 2021-2022 Cohort, 2022-2023 Cohort)

Total # of Interns who were in the 3 cohorts

          26          

Total # of Interns who did not seek employment because they returned to their doctoral program/are completing doctoral degree:

0

 

PD

EP

Academic teaching

 

Community mental health center

 

 

Consortium

 

 

University Counseling Center

 

 

Hospital/Medical Center

10

Veterans Affairs Health Care System

5

1

Psychiatric facility

4

 

Correctional facility

 

 

Health maintenance organization

 

 

School district/system

 

 

Independent practice setting

3

Other

 

 

*Note: “PD” = Post-doctoral residency position; “EP” = Employed Position. Each individual represented in this table should be counted only one time.  For former trainees working in more than one setting, select the setting that represents their primary position.